I'm still looking for him and and the other deluxe Netflix figures in the newest wave.
I think the head is taken from Siege Smokescreen. Maybe he hasn't appeared in the Netflix shows? Not sure. I watched the Siege series, but haven't watched Earthrise yet.
I recall getting this toy in a UK shop called Poundstretchers in 2003 for a bargain price of £2.99. They had five of them on the shelves. A shop worker had them all priced at £2.99 the same as the small figures. I only had some loose change with me but enought for one of them so I grabbed it.
This was a really awesome toy. I wish they had more DX sized figures.
Funny, when I looked at the photo of it carded the word "eraser" was the first thing that popped in my mind. Lo & behold, it really is made out of rubber!
There is some weirdness for sure. But it does feel good in hand and looks good in person. Would be a huge plus if the articulation was a little better.
I've already got the metallic toy version, but haven't opened it up yet. We'll see how that turns out.
I really want to like this. I love Super7, I love the people there, but this seems like a huge missed opportunity, especially from a company whose creation was around JAPANESE TOYS. The proportions are all off (why do the shoulders go so high above the chest?) Why are parts that are white in the animation grey? Why the Popeye forearms? Why have the discs where the lion legs retract on the legs, but not the arms? Either you lean into the animation model, or you lean into the toy model. It also seems like there are a bunch of weird mold / sculpt issues on the green lion. I would expect this out of Mattel, not Super7.
Same here. I didn't even notice the color difference until you pointed it out. And while the weapon doesn't fit perfectly in his hand, everything else on mine is tight, including all the wheels. I think you got a...lemon.
I remember having this too, the companion piece for the Kokai-Mun (the Iron Gear). The articulation was not usable, as it only was focused on making the transformation. For the Iron Gear, at least the arms were posable.
I had this when I was about 15 years old and enjoyed playing with it very much. It's design and transformation were great, I didn't know at the time which series it was from. Wish I could find a new one at a good price.
Sadly, mine came with 2 RIGHT HANDS!
*LEFT
All the versions had two left hands, never seen one with a right hand.
Seeing these pictures, I think I actually had this as a kid! I watched Xabungle last year, and it didn't click. But seeing it in red and yellow, with those firing feet missiles, I remember it now! Thanks so much for that.
The problem for this guy is the availability. I'm lucky to find one in physical stores or I can pay extra online, which I won't do. Hasbro's distribution hasn't improved, unfortunately.
" I could almost accept him missing most of his hallmarks if he was an all-new toy. But he's not! He's like 75% Metroplex!"
*facepalms super-hard*
I shouldn't have to explain what's wrong with that statement, but I obviously do.
He's missing several of his hallmarks precisely because he's 75% Metroplex instead of an all-new toy. Fortress Maximus' base mode features are, by and large, things that Metroplex did not have. Since this Fortress Maximus was made by retooling Metroplex, he doesn't have them either.
You might then ask, why make him from Metroplex in the first place? Well, the answer to that is cautious investment. Hasbro at the time could not be sure if people would actually buy Titan-class citybots other than Metroplex, so they played it safe by doing Fort Max as a Metroplex retool so that they wouldn't lose too much money if he flopped. In hindsight, it would have been nice if they'd at least invested in new lower legs that ratcheted sideways below the knee; that alone would bring him much closer to G1 Fort Max.
I'd still say the compromises were worth it in the long term, even if they make TR Fort Max less awesome than he could be. Because TR Fort Max proved a commercial success, and that paved the way for Trypticon and Scorponok, both of whom are brand-new molds that do retain several features.
As for the accessory count, well... That's because most of a Transformers' price comes down to piece count and plastic mass. In the case of the Titans, most of that mass goes into the actual main robot body (or bodies, in the case of the 2 combiners) so that it's actually as big as it needs to be. That leaves less for weapons. If you'll recall, the retail version of T30 Metroplex only had one rifle.
I can see multiple things that pass as buildings in the base mode: Scorponok's arms with the silver pieces covering the claws; they're towers with the ridged sections acting as sci-fi windows.
The central tower made by the shield is another building. Even has grooves in it to be windows!
The rifle and rifle guard also have grooves in them that are supposed to be windows.
It is better thought of as a base than a "city" tho. It definitely works as a base, with those buildings and the gun emplacements and the repair stations and the missile batteries in Scorponok's legs.
Fasttrack would look better with some detail paint.
So, this figure was a thing. It existed. It was somewhat desirable, particularly after Titans Return Fortress Maximus came out to match it in articulation.
But seeing the characters, brings a certain deja vu feeling. But that toy is awesome! It reminds me a little of super robo galatt. Gland you shared this with us. :)
Over the years I have seen several KO Gundams in Easter baskets sold at places like K-Mart (now defunct unfortunately). Occasionally I may see one or two at the local Dollar Store.
I'm actually like you in this aspect. I prefer the original toy heads over the cartoon heads. Wheeljack, Mirage, Blaster and Perceptor come to mind.
This guy suffers from a bad case of exploding elbows. Beware!
This is a surprise but too bad it's a web exclusive.
Awesome!
I'm still looking for him and and the other deluxe Netflix figures in the newest wave.
I think the head is taken from Siege Smokescreen. Maybe he hasn't appeared in the Netflix shows? Not sure. I watched the Siege series, but haven't watched Earthrise yet.
I recall getting this toy in a UK shop called Poundstretchers in 2003 for a bargain price of £2.99. They had five of them on the shelves. A shop worker had them all priced at £2.99 the same as the small figures. I only had some loose change with me but enought for one of them so I grabbed it.
This was a really awesome toy. I wish they had more DX sized figures.
Funny, when I looked at the photo of it carded the word "eraser" was the first thing that popped in my mind. Lo & behold, it really is made out of rubber!
There is some weirdness for sure. But it does feel good in hand and looks good in person. Would be a huge plus if the articulation was a little better.
I've already got the metallic toy version, but haven't opened it up yet. We'll see how that turns out.
I really want to like this. I love Super7, I love the people there, but this seems like a huge missed opportunity, especially from a company whose creation was around JAPANESE TOYS. The proportions are all off (why do the shoulders go so high above the chest?) Why are parts that are white in the animation grey? Why the Popeye forearms? Why have the discs where the lion legs retract on the legs, but not the arms? Either you lean into the animation model, or you lean into the toy model. It also seems like there are a bunch of weird mold / sculpt issues on the green lion. I would expect this out of Mattel, not Super7.
The package is nice though.
Yes, the color & head remind of the ABC war robot from the first Judge Dredd movie.
Same here. I didn't even notice the color difference until you pointed it out. And while the weapon doesn't fit perfectly in his hand, everything else on mine is tight, including all the wheels. I think you got a...lemon.
Maybe with Sunstreaker, they didn't feel the need to capture his classic look as much as some of the other WFC toys have.
Can't tell if I got lucky or am just blessed with less than perfect vision, but the difference in shades doesn't look as noticeable on mine.
Haven't opened mine yet, but happy to have one that's better scaled than what we've had before.
At least it looks cool, in and out the box. Would be awesome if someone made a modern, non-crappy version.
I remember having this too, the companion piece for the Kokai-Mun (the Iron Gear). The articulation was not usable, as it only was focused on making the transformation. For the Iron Gear, at least the arms were posable.
Gah! my brain! I'll fix it, thanks!
I had this when I was about 15 years old and enjoyed playing with it very much. It's design and transformation were great, I didn't know at the time which series it was from. Wish I could find a new one at a good price.
Sadly, mine came with 2 RIGHT HANDS!
*LEFT
All the versions had two left hands, never seen one with a right hand.
Seeing these pictures, I think I actually had this as a kid! I watched Xabungle last year, and it didn't click. But seeing it in red and yellow, with those firing feet missiles, I remember it now! Thanks so much for that.
The problem for this guy is the availability. I'm lucky to find one in physical stores or I can pay extra online, which I won't do. Hasbro's distribution hasn't improved, unfortunately.
You seem to always whine on the past toy reviews. Are you always this whiny?
" I could almost accept him missing most of his hallmarks if he was an all-new toy. But he's not! He's like 75% Metroplex!"
*facepalms super-hard*
I shouldn't have to explain what's wrong with that statement, but I obviously do.
He's missing several of his hallmarks precisely because he's 75% Metroplex instead of an all-new toy. Fortress Maximus' base mode features are, by and large, things that Metroplex did not have. Since this Fortress Maximus was made by retooling Metroplex, he doesn't have them either.
You might then ask, why make him from Metroplex in the first place? Well, the answer to that is cautious investment. Hasbro at the time could not be sure if people would actually buy Titan-class citybots other than Metroplex, so they played it safe by doing Fort Max as a Metroplex retool so that they wouldn't lose too much money if he flopped. In hindsight, it would have been nice if they'd at least invested in new lower legs that ratcheted sideways below the knee; that alone would bring him much closer to G1 Fort Max.
I'd still say the compromises were worth it in the long term, even if they make TR Fort Max less awesome than he could be. Because TR Fort Max proved a commercial success, and that paved the way for Trypticon and Scorponok, both of whom are brand-new molds that do retain several features.
As for the accessory count, well... That's because most of a Transformers' price comes down to piece count and plastic mass. In the case of the Titans, most of that mass goes into the actual main robot body (or bodies, in the case of the 2 combiners) so that it's actually as big as it needs to be. That leaves less for weapons. If you'll recall, the retail version of T30 Metroplex only had one rifle.
I can see multiple things that pass as buildings in the base mode: Scorponok's arms with the silver pieces covering the claws; they're towers with the ridged sections acting as sci-fi windows.
The central tower made by the shield is another building. Even has grooves in it to be windows!
The rifle and rifle guard also have grooves in them that are supposed to be windows.
It is better thought of as a base than a "city" tho. It definitely works as a base, with those buildings and the gun emplacements and the repair stations and the missile batteries in Scorponok's legs.
Fasttrack would look better with some detail paint.
So, this figure was a thing. It existed. It was somewhat desirable, particularly after Titans Return Fortress Maximus came out to match it in articulation.
And then Earthrise Scorponok happened.
Glad you liked it, and thanks for reading!
But seeing the characters, brings a certain deja vu feeling. But that toy is awesome! It reminds me a little of super robo galatt. Gland you shared this with us. :)
Over the years I have seen several KO Gundams in Easter baskets sold at places like K-Mart (now defunct unfortunately). Occasionally I may see one or two at the local Dollar Store.